Looking at the big picture, the 2021-22 season was a success for the Minnesota Timberwolves. They won multiple playoff games for the first time since 2004 and their 46 regular-season wins were their second-most in the past 17 seasons.
The short-term outlook, however, will view the first-round playoff loss to the Memphis Grizzlies as a missed opportunity. The second-youngest team in the playoffs lost three games it led by double-digit points in the fourth quarter.
While we can chalk that up to inexperience, history has shown that there is no guarantee that Minnesota will be in position to advance to the second round in the future. The nucleus of this roster returns but so does a Western Conference that projects to be the strongest in recent years.